CubaNews articles from September 2003

CubaNews archives from September 2003

USAID financing of dissident groups is centerpiece of Bush's new Cuba policy.
September 1, 2003... A little-noticed U.S. government grant program that has distributed more than $22.3 million to groups seeking change in Cuba is becoming an increasingly important part of the Bush administration's overall Cuba policy. The U.S. Agency for...

Cuba's U.S. grocery bill hits $500m as Fla. rancher ships 148 cows to Havana.
September 1, 2003... Since December 2001, Cuba has imported half a billion dollars worth of food, forestry and other agricultural products from the United States. That's the word from Pedro Alvarez, chief of Cuban food purchasing agency Alimport, speaking at...

White House acts to mend rift with Cuban-Americans.
September 1, 2003... In an effort to appease Cuban-Americans who say the White House has abandoned them, the Bush administration has indicted three Cuban military officers for the 1996 shootdown of two exile airplanes. It's is also taking steps to boost the...

Dennis Hays steps down as CANF's man in Washington.
September 1, 2003... Politics and pragmatism have convinced Dennis Hays it's time to quit his job as Washington director of the Cuban American National Foundation--the nation's largest and most influential Cuban exile group. Hays announced his resignation Aug....

New venture focuses on Cuba-related online advertising.
September 1, 2003... Steve Marshall, the Havana-based British entrepreneur known for online Cuba travel service Go Cuba Plus, online supermarket Cuba Gift Store and investment site Real Estate Cuba, is now taking his Internet ventures to the next level by launching...

A long, hard road: with this issue, CubaNews marks its 10th anniversary.
September 1, 2003... When CubaNews was launched by the Miami Herald Publishing Co. in September 1993, it was difficult not to be optimistic about the future. The Berlin Wall had come crashing down, communist regimes in Eastern Europe were history, even the Soviet...

Cuba tops one-day summer tourist record.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... On Aug. 12, Cuba reported a record 40,384 guests staying at the island's hotels--topping Cuba's previous one-day summer record of 39,106 on Aug. 14, 2001. That's one more sign that Cuba's tourism industry is finally recovering from the...

Sol Melia says profits are up 27.8% in 2003.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... Spain's Grupo Sol Melia, which is Cuba's largest hotel operator, reported net profits of $11.6 million during the first half of 2003--a 27.8% jump from to the same period last year. Sol Melia had revenues of $517.9 million, while net...

Marina to begin operations in Pinar Del Rio.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... A new marina will soon open in the Guanacahabibes Peninsula of Pinar del Rio province. The Marina Cabo de San Antonio, designed to receive 100 to 300 boats a day, includes a 200-meter pier and an 80-meter causeway which will allow ships to...

Jardines del Rey sees strong tourist growth.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... Jardines del Rey, considered the fastest-growing tourist region in Cuba, reported over $15 million in profits during the first seven months of 2003. That compares to profits of $8.8 million over the same period last year. The two hotels...

In their own words ...
September 1, 2003... "It's time for him to go. It's his 77th birthday and I was hoping, but I knew better, that perhaps he would announce his retirement." --Secretary of State Colin Powell, answering a question posed by a Univision TV reporter about what the...

Study details Cuba's water resources.
September 1, 2003... Some 14% of Cuba's territory, equivalent to 1.58 million hectares, is vulnerable to drought, according to a new government study on desertification and soil degradation. The report also said that 14.9% of the island is affected by...

Correction.(Nota de correccion)
September 1, 2003... In a July 2003 feature on Miami's Cuban Jewish community, CubaNews incorrectly identified Jaime Mandel as vice-chair of the University of Miami's board of trustees and chairman of Mandel Industries. In fact, neither Jaime Mandel nor Mandel...

3 academics analyze Cuba's past, future economic woes.
September 1, 2003... Last month's meeting of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) in Miami attracted over 100 academics, most of whom presented papers relating to Cuba's current economic difficulties. Here are summaries of three of the most...

Ramon Humberto Colas: library books for everyone.
September 1, 2003... If it weren't for Fidel Castro's "big lie," as he calls it, Ramon Humberto Colas might never have begun Cuba's independent library movement--and he wouldn't be exiled in Miami today with his wife and three kids. Colas is a 41-year-old...

Reporters without borders discourages French tourism to Cuba.
September 1, 2003... Reporters Without Borders, known by its French name Reporters sans frontieres, has launched an anti-Cuban tourism drive in response to Fidel Castro's arrests of independent journalists earlier this year. Among other measures, RSF has made...

Israelis show interest in Cuban tourism, real-estate sectors.
September 1, 2003... Israel and Cuba haven't had diplomatic relations since 1973, but that hasn't stopped thousands of Hebrew-speaking Israelis from touring the Caribbean island anyway. "We assume that 10,000 Israelis have already visited Cuba," said Daniel...

Young Cubans visit Israel in first such trip since '73 Yom Kippur War.
September 1, 2003... Eight young Cuban Jews visited Israel in August--marking the first organized religious pilgrimmage from Cuba to the Holy Land in 30 years. The eight were part of birthright israel, a program that offers free 10-day trips for Jews aged 18-26...

Russian firm to repair Cuba's vehicles.
September 1, 2003... A Russian firm has signed a joint venture with the Castro government to repair Soviet-built cars, trucks and buses, which make up 80% of Cuba's vehicle fleet. The contract is between a state entity, Soluciones Mecanicas, based in Camaguey,...

Mideast, India seek out Cuban biotech.
September 1, 2003... The Cuban government is devoting a lot of energy to selling its biotechnology and pharmaceutical expertise throughout the Middle East and beyond. Experiences with Iran, Qatar, India and Malaysia have apparently met with unexpected success,...

Letters to the editor.(Carta al editor)
September 1, 2003... In the July 2003 issue of CubaNews, there was an article by Douglass Norvell about recreational boating that had so many mistakes and strange ideas, it makes me wonder if you check your articles for accuracy. For example, Cubanacan is not...

Hatuey to brew organic beer, coolers.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... Santiago de Cuba's Hatuey brewery will soon begin producing organic beer and coolers, in a joint venture with Canada's Caribbean Classic Beverage. The coolers are described in a press release as "sort of a refreshing carbonated beverage,...

Hydro plant almost finished in Granma.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... Workers are nearing completion on a $3 million hydroelectric plant in the municipality of Guisa, in eastern Granma province. The facility, which uses Chinese technology, should be finished over the next few months. It is one of five hydro...

Eleka reports 16% rise in cable sales.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... State-owned Eleka S.A. has seen a 16% increase in sales of its telephone and electric cables so far this year, say company officials. About 90% of Eleka's production is for the domestic market--mainly construction, tourism, telecom and the...

Finance firm CFH expands its portfolio.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... Corporacion Financiera Habana, the first joint venture of its kind in Cuba, reported a 14.1% increase in revenues last year, with profits coming to $1.6 million in 2002. Volume of net financing grew by 22.6% to $72.1 million, while CFH's...

Altadis tobacco giant said to be in trouble.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... Altadis, the famous Spanish-French tobacco conglomerate, seems to be facing serious problems in the world cigarette market, especially following the privatization of UETI, Italy's largest state tobacco entity, and growing competition from BAT...

Cuba pursues various nuclear projects.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... Cuba is implementing 16 projects in the field of nuclear energy, within the framework of the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Agreement for the Promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology (ARCAL). Although most of these projects deal...

Government: iron, steel exports up sharply.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... Cuba's iron and steel industry claims exports jumped by 95% in the first half of 2003 to $37 million compared to the same period last year. Government sources say the most important exports in this sector are steel, electric and telephone...

Central Bank relaxes FX controls following protests.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... Managers and foreign companies doing business in Cuba are in an uproar over the Central Bank's recent decision to introduce foreign-exchange controls for state-run enterprises, reports Reuters, noting that the Castro government has already...

Cuba benefits from steady rebound in world nickel prices.
September 1, 2003... Since late October 2001, when nickel prices bottomed out at $4,440 per ton--below the estimated production costs at Cuba's government-owned mines--prices have steadily risen for the past 22 months, reaching $8,875/ton in June. Although...

Cuba, South Africa sign mining accord.(Articulo breve)
September 1, 2003... Cuba has signed a bilateral mining and energy agreement with South Africa, says the U.S. Cuba Policy Report, quoting from a Johannesburg mining magazine. According to South Africa's Department of Minerals and Energy, the Jul. 4 accord...

Las Tunas: a look at one of Cuba's least-known provinces.
September 1, 2003... The province of Las Tunas has existed since 1976, when the former province of Oriente was split into five new territories. A piece of neighboring Camaguey was also carved to form the southwestern part of Las Tunas. With 6,587 sq kms (2,544...

Calendar of events.(Calendario)
September 1, 2003... If your organization is sponsoring an upcoming event, please let our readers know! Fax details to CubaNews at (301) 365-1829 or send an e-mail to larry@luxner.com. Sep. 8: "Foreign Assistance in a Transitional Cuba: The Role of...